Container for wire, tubing, cordage and the like



March 7, 1961 A. LANEVE ETAL ,858

CONTAINER FOR WIRE. TUBING, CORDAGE AND THE LIKE Filed March 15, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 7, 1961 4 A. LANEVE ETAL 2,973,858

CONTAINER FOR WIRE, TUBING, commas AND THE LIKE Filed March 13, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1/ we m2 5. L fiRrm/R .4 (mu-v: #4201175 4 45 P/c/IA 23 L. 725:5

977" ems) CONTAINER FOR WIRE, TUBING, CORDAGE AND THE LIKE Arthur L. Laneve and Harold E. Nash, Erie, and Richard L. Tress, Beaver Falls, Pa., assignors to Qrown Zellerbach Corporation, San Francisco, Calif, a corporation of Nevada Filed Mar. 13, 1958, Ser. No. 721,222

Claims. (Cl. 206-52) This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in packaging and more particularly to a box or container for packaging, shipping and storing flat, circular articles, such as coils of wire, tubing, cordage and the like.

It is one of the principal objects of the present invention to provide a box or container which is particularly adapted for housing flat circular objects, such as coils of wire, tubing, cordage or any other similar articles which in its over all assembled shape is relatively flat and circular.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a conatent tainer formed of a single blank of fibreboard or other suitable material, which is unusually economical in structure and cost to manufacture and can be stored and shipped to its point of use, prior to assembly, in knocked down fiat form, and can be set up or assembled at the point of use, in a convenient manner without resort to machinery and with but a moderate employment of hand labor.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a container of the type stated, which is uniquely provided with a central hub forming construction adapted to support coils of relatively heavy weight, deformable material from a plurality of central support points, thereby materially assisting in supporting the weight of the material when the container is set up on end or dropped on one of its corners.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a container of the type stated which may be fabricated rom a single rectangular blank of fibreboard or other suitable material with a minimum of wastage, thus achieving an unusually economical manufacture.

It is likewise an object of the present invention to provide a container of the type stated having a centrally located hub member formed of an even number of inner flaps alternating from the top and bottom walls to form 2,973,858 Patented Mar. 7, 1961 Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows 8-8 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows 9-9 in Fig. 5; and,

Fig. 10 is an enlarged view taken in the direction of the arrows 10-10 of Fig. 5.

Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention and wherein like numerals refer to like parts wherever they occur:

The reference number 10 designates the one piece blank which is die cut or otherwise formed out of a rectangular section of fibreboard or other suitable material. The blank 10 is provided with a top wall 11 and a bottom wall 12, generally defined by two horizontal scores 16 and four vertical scores 15 and are separated by a connecting side wall 14. The score lines 16 and 15 also efine three flaps 21 integral with the top wall 11 and side wall forming flaps 13 integral with the bottom 'wall 12 and side wall forming flaps 37 also integral with the bottom wall 12. The score lines 16 also define the hinge connection of one pair of connecting flaps 19 integral with the connecting side wall 14, and one pair of connecting flaps 20 integral with the side wall form-ing flap 37. Score lines 18 define the outer flaps 17 which are integral with side wall forming flaps 13. Openings 24 are provided in the pair of side wall flaps 13 and the side wall flap 37 adjacent the score lines 16 and 15 respectively. Score lines 22 define locking tabs 23 which are integral with the top wall flaps 21. a

The central portions of the top wall 11 and bottom wall 12 are die cut toidefine generally hexagonal apertures with three flaps on alternating margins of each of the top and bottom walls. More specifically the aperture in the top wall is defined by three margins 29 alternately separated by three flaps 28 defined by score lines 25. The score lines 27 define locking tabs 26 integral with the flaps 28. The locking tabs 26 have a pair of locking cars 30 which are extensions of flaps 26 adjacent score lines 27.

' The aperture in the bottom wall is defined by three I margins 31 alternately separated by three flaps 34 dea strong shock resistant structure which will support coils of wire, tubing, cordage and the like even when the package is dropped due to accident or mishandling and will therefore materially offset the tendency of the packaged material to deform itself under impact by reason of its own weight. I

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed specification.

For a complete understanding of this invention reference may now be had to the drawings which form a part of this specification and in which:

lie a plan view of a one piece blank embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the blank shown in Fig. 1 illustrating a first step of erection;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the blank illustrated in Fig. 1 illustrating a second step of erection;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the blank of Fig. 1 in erected condition preparatory to forming the central hub forming member;

fined by score lines 33. Score lines 35 define tabs 36 which are integral with the flaps 34. The side marginal edges of the flaps 34 are provided with cut outs 32Iadjacent the ends of the score lines 33.

' The container is erected by placing a relatively fla circular article (not shown) on the bottom wall 12 and folding the side wall forming flap 37 right angularlyupward and the integral tabs 20 right angularly inwardly. The side wall flaps 13 are then folded right angularly upwardly and the .flaps 17 integral therewith folded right angularly inward as shown-in Fig. 2. The tabs 19 are folded inwardly and'the connecting wall 14 is folded right angularly upwardly with the pair of tabs 19 positioned adjacent the inner face of side walls 13. .The top wall 11 is then folded right angularly downwardly top wall 11 are folded downwardly about the score line and the locking tabs 26 are positioned in contacting relation with the inner face of the bottom wall 12. The tabs 26 lock in place by the co-action of the. locking ears 30 with the cut cuts 32 in flaps 34 thus completing the assembly of the container.

It will be apparent that while the aperture in the drawing is hexagonal in shape, any even number of sides could describe the aperture with the same new and novel result. That is, the aperture could be formed in a square or rectangular shape, an octagonal shape, a decagonal shape, etc. Generally speaking, a square or rectangular shape may be undesirable where an aperture of a more nearly circular shape is desired while an octagonal or decagonal shape will require more set up time.

It will be apparent that the central hub member will snugly engage flat circular articles such as wire, tubing, cordage and the like at at least three, or possibly four points around its interior diameter, so that when the container is placed upright on one of its sides, as would usually be the case for handling and shipping, a substantial portion of the weight will be supported by this locked hub-like internal structure, thereby preventing all of the packaged article from hearing down upon one of the side walls of the container. Furthermore, containers of the present invention can be stored in a suspended manner by inserting a hook or supporting member through the centrally located aperture. Also, the container is exceptionally easy to handle in storage and in shipment and is less likely to be handled carelessly or damaged. For example, the package handler can very readily lift a package formed with one of the containers of the present invention by inserting his hand through the centrally located aperture and grasping the inner edges or faces, thus being enabled to carry the package of a fairly large size, weight, and bulk, under his arm in a highly convenient manner.

Although, in the preferred embodiment herein described reference has been 'made to the use of fibreboard, (which encompasses both corrugated and solid fibreboard) as a material of construction, it is, of course, obvious that other similar types of materials can be used with facility.

It should be noted that changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement and combination of the several parts of the container may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

We claim:

1. A container for coiled wire, tubing, cordage and the like comprising rectangnllar top and bottom wall panels disposed in superposed relation, spaced by relatively narrow vertically disposed side walls integral and coextensive with the side edges of the bottomwall, the top wall being hinged to one of the side walls, the top and bottom wall panels having marginally registering central, polygonal apertures, the bottom wall having integral flaps on alternate margins of its polygonal aperture folded right angularly, upward, tabs integral with said flap positioned outwardly into contacting relation with the inner face of the top Wall, the inner portions of the flaps having cutouts on their sides adjacent their hinge line. the top wall having integral flaps on alternate margins of its polygonal aperture folded right angularly downwardly, locking tabs integral with said top wall flaps positioned outwardly flatwise against the inner face of the bottom wall with locking projections on the side edges and in mutual edgewise locking engagement with the cutouts in the bottom wall flaps, forming a rigid central hub adapted to support coiled articles with a central transverse opening therein.

2. A one piece container for packaging a cylindrical article having a substantially greater diameter than height and a central void therein comprising rectangular, substantially counterpart top and bottom wall panels spaced in parallel relation by relatively shallow opposed pairs of vertical side walls integral with the sides of the bottom wall panels, the top wall being hinged to the top edge of one side wall with flaps on its free edges disposed flatwise against the outer face of the side walls with locking tabs on said flaps locked in aligned slots in the side walls, in the top and bottom walls, centrally positioned and aligned marginal edges defining openings, flaps integral with alternate margins with tabs on their outer ends, folded into mutual edgewise interlocking en gagement, the top wall flanges right angularly downward, the bottom wall flaps positioned right angularly upward with their tab extensions folded outwardly flatwise against the inner face of the opposite wall, the tabs on the flanges integral with the interior margins of the top and bottom wall panels having locking ears in engagement with aligned cutouts in the side edges of the bottom wall flanges, firmly locking the hub structure together.

3. The container set forth and claimed in claim 2 wherein the opposed pair of side walls, including the side wall integrally attached to the top and bottom wall panels, have attached connecting flaps at each end folded in wardly in it rise relation against the inner surface of the adjacent side walls, the pair of adjacent side walls having foldabiy connected outer flaps on their outer edge, outer flaps folded inwardly and downwardly over the connecting flaps and in parallel relation to the connected side walls, thereby securing the side walls in upstanding relation to the bottom wall panel and with the intersections of the side walls in engaged relation.

4. In a container for an article disposed about a central hub structure, the container having a first and a second panel in spaced parallel relation, said panels connected by outer marginal side walls, a hub structure di posed between the spaced parallel panels and defined by opposed pairs of interior marginal edges in each said panel and comprised of flaps attachedto only one marginal edge of each such pair and in alternating relation between the first and second panel, the flaps having opposed side edges and an inner edge with tabs hingediy connected to the inner edge, with protruding locking ears on their side margins, the flaps disposed between the first and second panel in mutual substantially edgewise abutting relation and having the tabs disposed in flatwise relation against the inner surface of the respective parallel panel, the tab protruding locking ears in edgewise engagement with the adjacent fiap side edges.

5. The container hub structure set forth and claimed in claim 4 wherein the flaps attached to the first panel have cutouts in the opposed side edges adjacent said attachment and in alignment with the adjacent tab locking ears.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,652,922 Schweich Sept. 22, 1953 2,706,592 Schaller Apr. 19, 1955 2,724,538 Schweich Nov. 22, 1955 2,832,466 Sheard Apr. 29, 1958 

